With pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training in a matter of weeks, yesterday, the Washington Nationals announced some of their top prospects would be invited to big-league camp.
Headlining the list is last year’s second pick of the amateur draft, Dylan Crews, up and coming prospects James Wood, Robert Hassell III, and Brady House.
In addition to these top Nationals prospects, infield prospects Trey Lipscomb, Darren Baker, and catcher Brady Lindsly. The Nationals also extended invitations to four players with major-league experience who signed minor-league contracts recently, including outfielder Travis Blankenhorn, first basemen Lewin Díaz and Juan Yepez, and left-hander Joe La Sorsa.
Related Article: The Nats Report 2024 Preseason Prospect Rankings
According to Baseball America, Dylan Crews is Washington’s top and №6 prospect in baseball. After being selected №2 overall in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, Dylan Crews will participate in his first Major League Spring Training. One of the most accomplished players in the history of college baseball, Crews enters the season as the “Best Hitter for Average” in Washington’s system, per Baseball America. Crews hit .292 with nine doubles, five homers, 29 RBI, 14 walks, four stolen bases, and 26 runs scored in 35 games between the FCL Nationals, Single-A Fredericksburg, and Double-A Harrisburg in his first professional season in 2023.
Darren Baker, 24, is ranked among Nationals Minor Leaguers in average (3rd, .280), hits (4th, 118), triples (T6th, 4), on-base percentage, OPS (10th, .692), and stolen bases (10th, 21) in 2023. Baker is a second baseman and also saw action in left field (32 G) and center field (1 G) last season across the minor leagues. He is entering his fourth professional season after being selected in the 10th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California — Berkeley.
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